Hall of Fame: Top 5 Rayquaza Pokémon Cards from Japan
Nick Atmospheric levels of anticipation hang heavy in the stratosphere with the Pokémon TCG’s next chapter in the Mega Evolution era on the horizon.
Storm Emeralda, set to release in Japan on 31 July, is placing the legendary Dragon of Hoenn on a heavenly pedestal once again, meaning collectors everywhere are bracing for the return of Mega Rayquaza ex.
But before Rayquaza makes its next appearance, it’s worth looking back at the Japanese prints that already earned their place up high.
Here are five Japanese Rayquaza cards that have ascended to the hall of fame spots:
5. Rayquaza ex – Rulers Of The Heaven (047/054)
This is the one that started the legend. Released in 2003 as part of the Japanese EX Dragon series, this Holo Rare ex was Rayquaza’s first starring role in the TCG, and it arrived with aplomb.
Illustrated by Hikaru Koike, the artwork captures Rayquaza mid-spiral against a deep cosmic backdrop. It’s both dramatic yet restrained in the way early ex-era art often was.
It’s also the foundational card on which any serious Rayquaza collection is built, and a print that still commands respect on the singles market over two decades later.
4. Rayquaza VMAX – Blue Sky Stream (083/067)
When the Sword & Shield era gave Rayquaza an entire dedicated Japanese set in Blue Sky Stream, collectors knew something special was incoming. From there, the VMAX Hyper Rare delivered.
Illustrated by Anesaki Dynamic, this card renders Rayquaza tearing through the rooftops of a forest, while contours of air tell the tale of its breakneck speed.
Mountains splayed across a rugged backdrop give the card a very real feel, which is precisely why so many collectors have a desire to own this piece of Rayquaza VMAX ex. A modern benchmark.
3. Rayquaza – ex Holon Phantoms (015/052)
The mystique of Holon and its Delta Species inhabitants, combined with the sheer reverence Rayquaza holds in the community, means this card was always destined for greatness.
With its dormant Water-Steel typing taking precedence as a result of the Holon Research Centre’s presence, Rayquaza ex takes on a light turquoise background. Against this, its coiled presence looks just as adept as it would among the clouds.
The Water-Steel Rayquaza ex of course sits alongside its other Delta variants in its Fire and Lightning forms, but for me, this one edges it as it captures everything that made the Delta Species era so memorable: familiar Pokémon reimagined in unexpected ways, yet somehow feeling completely at home.
2. Mega Rayquaza EX – Bandit Ring (095/081)
Mega Rayquaza EX, the much-south-after Mega form of the generation three legendary, made its most recent appearance in 2015 with this stellar artwork.
The glowing gold contours contrasting against Mega Rayquaza’s sheeny scales start the card off with a killer coloured. You then have the naming of its attack, Emerald Break, emblazoned across its ferocious artwork.
The detail, like Mega Rayqaza’s shichishito-shaped markings, its red-tipped ridden-like wings, and the delta symbol that adorn its head, all cut through with the up-close clarity.
It’s far from the only notable Mega Rayquaza card from that era, but it certainly feels like the one that lays the groundwork for any modern grail we might expect in Storm Emeralda.
- Rayquaza ★ – Clash of the Blue Sky (067/082)
Gold Star cards occupy a space of near-mythological reverence in the Pokémon TCG, and the Japanese Rayquaza Gold Star from the 2004 Clash of the Blue Sky set is among the finest of them.
In the company of other Gold Star cards like Charizard ★ and Umbreon ★, Rayquaza ★ is a grail for almost any collector, and out of budget for almost all (certainly for me, anyways).
This acclaim comes with reason for the artwork, as Rayquaza, set against a vortex that collapses binary black into brilliant white, tears out of the frame. Its claw clutches with menace, as it coils inward to the card’s epicentre.
Together, it creates a powerful scene benefitting the Dragon Lord.
What about Mega Rayquaza ex from Storm Emeralda…
The modern Mega Evolution set will have much to live up to, but should the current block continue on its trajectory, we can expect an insatiable SAR and a golden-clad Mega Hyper Rare.
It’s the SAR where collectors will clamour with hope of a special artwork, and as a result, we are already seeing rumours swirl. Mention of a possible delta return is unconfirmed, but symptomatic of the excitement.
It’s hard to say what potential heights the new prints will hit, but let’s eagerly await. Lock in.
Order Storm Emeralda at Kabuto Cards soon!
Written By Nick Witts